PENDER COMMUNITY CELEBRATION
JUNE 26, 27 & 28, 2026
WELCOME TO PENDER
for this year's community celebration!
With the exciting return of
a full carnival midway
and the challenges of several
streets that are under construction
near the city park in June, some of
the finer details of this year's
celebration will require some
decisions to be made later into the
month than in a typical year.
Check back to this page frequently for
updates as they become available,
detailed descriptions of
each event and always find the most
current version of the weekend's
schedule on the link below.
We can't wait to see you
June 26-28th in Pender!
Thursday, June 25
Main Street will be closed starting at 5 p.m. this night so that setup of the River City Carnival and Highway 94 Shutdown can begin, along with one block of Third Street north from Main Street.
It will reopen sometime before 11 a.m. on Sunday morning, June 28.
In addition, parking along McCabe Street from First Street to Highway 9/16 will be restricted to make space for traffic on the detour. This is no different than in past years but is multiple days.
While potentially inconvenient, it is important that this no parking is strictly followed for the safety of diverted highway traffic and trucks.
Friday, June 26
It’s game day!
And if you’re available Friday morning, you’ll want to make your way down to Main Street early in the morning because as the Pender Betterment Group (BGs) and the carnival crews are setting up for the festivities later in the day, Pender will become ground zero for an onsite airing of 93.7 The Ticket’s Early Break Show featuring former Nebraska football coach and Penderite Bill Busch, Steve Sipple and Jake Sorensen.
Their broadcast from the live music stage of the beer garden will start bright and early at 6 a.m. until 9 a.m. and the Pender-Thurston Chamber of Commerce will have coffee, drinks and doughnuts available for anyone who wants to watch the live regional broadcast in a “College Gameday” style.
From there, a golf scramble featuring the radio personalities will be held at Twin Creeks — likely already filled.
The midway opens at 4 p.m. with $10 all-you-can-ride wrist bands with the low price made possible by donations from local businesses, organizations and individuals.
BGs barbecue pork and beef sandwiches and the beer garden will be open starting at 5 p.m., and Equity Bank will be holding its annual free ice cream social that evening.
The band “Wrecked Becky” takes the stage at 9:30 p.m. and will play until 1 a.m. You must be 21 years old and pay a $15 cover charge to remain in the beer garden, which will connect to The Other Side Bar and also feature an outdoor beer stand.
A fireworks show across the Logan Creek (dredge) bridge will launch when it gets dark, approximately 10 p.m.
Saturday, June 27
Saturday’s events begin with an omelet feed at the school from 8-10 a.m., a Pendragon Flames Color Run with an 8:30 registration in the Pender City Park and Twin Creeks Golf Scrambles of nine holes each at 8 a.m. and noon. Call the course to sign up a team.
There will be an outdoor vendor market at 410 South 5th Street from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
The Heritage Museum of Thurston County has a full slate of activities and attractions planned this year in honor of the nation’s 250th celebration.
The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War will be setting up an historical outing at the museum from 10 a.m. until noon, and the annual “Picnic on the Lawn” will be held from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Tours of the museum are open from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. and there will be special dedication on the porch of the museum at 1 p.m.
The carnival midway fires up again from 4-11:30 p.m. on Saturday again with $10 all-you-can-ride wrist bands. A beer garden with DJ music and entertainment will be held on Main Street starting at 4 p.m. until the bar closes.
The Pender High School alumni banquet will be held at Pender Community Center with the social hour starting at 5:30 p.m. and dinner/program starting at 6:30 p.m.
The Pender Times will take class photos during the social hour starting just a few minutes after 5:30 p.m.
A car cruise will also be held again this year but without a specific route in place due to the closure of Main Street and unknowns about which side streets will be open due to construction. Feel free to make your own routes around town starting around 6 p.m.
Sunday, June 28
The annual fly-in/drive-in breakfast will be held at the Pender Airport from 8 a.m. until noon with the junior class in charge.
A community worship service will be held at the Pender Community Center event hall at 10 a.m. with a special program planned for this year that is welcome to all worshipers.
This year’s parade will be held at 1 p.m. and participants will line up as usual along Slaughter Avenue by 12:30 p.m. The current parade route will travel east on Main Street and turn south on Fifth Street, ending at Heyne Field. Whitney Street may be open but freshly planned grass along the street’s right-of-way.
Following the parade, a section of Main Street near the community center will be closed for safety as KidZone activities that were held last year on Main Street will be moved down to be part of Sunday in the Park until 4 p.m.
Other activities include lots of food options, a Kids Coin Scramble, Foam Party, Greased Pig Contest, Dunking Booth, Pender-Thurston Education & Community Foundation ice cream social, CharterWest Bank watermelon feed and balloon art and airbrush painting sponsored by House Memorial Library with its location to be determined by construction of Thurston Avenue.
The show and shine car show will not be held in 2026 but will return in 2027.